2.5 need to be fixed or even better completly go away with it and revert to "2.0".
Raid Accessibility & Content Relevance
- Thread starter Haenir
- Start date
2.5 need to be fixed or even better completly go away with it and revert to "2.0".
Haenir
Dalayan Master
I like the idea of guildhalls (and services associated with them), but I'm not sure they would really make raiding more accessible to new/low-tier characters (kind of the point to this thread, no?). Replacing the existing system (buff bots) with a guildhall augur would primarily effect those with access to buff bots already. A Dalaya's Beginners guildhall could be beneficial -- assuming it created a centralized place for augurs, and maybe some other new raider oriented services.
NPC augurs as they are have some issues in how scattered they are, how expensive they are for a fresh 65, and how many are on factions which many classes/races cannot get beyond dubious.
Besides taking too long to buff people what are the major problems you see with buffs? Here is where I think some problems crop up:
(1) Buff scaling -- probably most noticeable with +health/mana and mana regen buffs, but applicable to almost all buffs with flat bonuses -- these buffs give a flat benefit to toons, making them a huge boost at low-tiers. As a result, if you don't have access to these buffs as a fresh 65 (through friends / buff bots / etc) content suddenly gets much harder, much faster (after all 65 exp has been developed with these buffs -- and the huge power boost they represent -- in mind).
(2) Buff duration -- duration is all over the place, especially with low level buffs, where you have things like SHM stats with 1 hour base duration, but Inner Fire/Courage with a 30 min base duration, making certain buffs more tedious than they should be.
IMO a better design would be something like all buffs intended as long duration (i.e., intended to last multiple encounters) should have a flat base duration with level-based increases to duration (in addition to focus effect/AA modifiers). This would allow buff casters to feel more noticeably powerful as they level up and (depending on how the formula is written) end up with high-end buffs lasting a reasonably long time.
E.g., with a flat base of 30 mins and lvl modifying formula = base duration (1 + .1(level)) -- long duration buffs cast by a lvl 1 Cleric lasts 33 minutes, by a lvl 2 lasts 36 minutes, by a lvl 3 lasts 39 minutes, by a lvl 4 lasts 42 minutes, etc. Meaning the base duration by lvl 65 would be 3 hours 45 minutes (to be further modified by focus effects/AAs).
(3) "Necessary" buffs -- I mainly play Rogue so I can speak most to melee dps "necessary" buffs. Spell haste is huge at any tier for melee dps. In part, this is because there are no clicky equivalents (e.g., casters have access to lesser mana regen clickies) -- but in larger part it is because the spells are so powerful -- lvl 60 enc haste gives +75% spell haste. Having access to that large of a power boost is immense -- that much spell haste is 2-3 times the haste of most low-tier worn haste, and is still 1.5 times the best worn haste. This means that having regular access to an enchanter buff bot is from a certain point of view a larger power boost to a rogue/monk than T13 gear.
(4) Few short-term buffs -- for classes where much of their utility comes from their buffing other party members, you can essentially load their buffs and then forget about them. Shifting some of the power boost from their long-term buffs, to short term (i.e., meant to last a single/few encounters) would make buff bots less relevant and filling groups more desirable.
(5) Reagents -- these could be more interesting and meaningful part of buffs (and other spells). Examples: add flawless peridot as a world drop, spells requiring peridot to cast would be empowered in some way when cast using a flawless peridot; use an alt. currency for reagents (when you want to use a specific reagent you click the create alt currency button to have it in your inventory); make more spells use reagents (but make it easier to carry around a bunch of reagents); have reagents effect spells in ways beyond castability (mana cost, duration, soul bond, etc.).
Stonewalljack
Dalayan Elder
Pretty sure they want people hanging out in cities where possible. Would be cool if buffs didn't burn in cities.
Generally spoken,I didnt have a problem with buffs before 2.5,took me 10m to (SB mostly) Relic buff my 55 Dru/Pal box including selling stuff and moving from and back to Sorc's.
I think that is absolulty appropriate to the power boost you get.
(1) I see that as an incentive to make your own buffbots,thus making people play more.
(2) They already increased buff durations on lower level spells some time ago,low level enc haste and mana regen last 3 hours now.I have more a problem with lots of low level buffs
being single target,most noticably on Shamans,we are always waiting on the Shammy to get fm on adept raids.
(3) See (1)
(4) Personally idc what other classes we have in group or what tiers people are as long as tanking/healing is covered,pretty sure you feel the same about it,its more a social thing and doesnt
need to be covered by game mechanics.
(5) Please no,there is alreay enough inventory/item management.
Haenir
Dalayan Master
This is probably more relevant to the 30-50 adepts (which are really the first mobs that require more than 1 group), but I remember reading a while back someone suggested changing the lvl requirement for general AA's to a lower lvl -- and the answer at the time was that it wasn't possible in the client. Could this be done in the new client?
E.g., setting lvl req. for general stat AA's to 30/40 to allow people to be able to exp their toon (instead of xplocking) while waiting to do 30-50's adepts.
E.g., setting lvl req. for general stat AA's to 30/40 to allow people to be able to exp their toon (instead of xplocking) while waiting to do 30-50's adepts.